Chapter 9

Sparks of the Fire

I flexed my claws, trying hard to control myself from the moment Saber appeared in my vision. Finally, I collapsed after the Shifters padded out of sight.

Twilight! Zircon nudged me with his beak.

"Twilightfall!" Sunstorm and Fawnleaf rushed to my side, asking stupid questions like 'are you okay'. I buried my muzzle deeper between my paws, shoulders trembling and claws unsheathed.

I-I'm losing control… Zir-zircon… Help me! Help me! I cried, hot tears rolling down my cheeks, claws ripping the grass under me into pieces.

It's going to be okay. I felt him setting down beside me, huge wings spread out as if trying to protect me from my deepest fears.

"What's happening?" I heard Owlflame ask.

"Get away from me!" I screamed, the redness deepened in my left eye. Glaring at my flaming, unsheathed claws, I just wanted to hide from the world, hide from myself. Zircon forced them away with balls of fire, and the three Crystallics finally left to report this to Darkthunder.

After a while, I took a deep breath and stood up again, haloed blue eyes free of any redness. Zircon had gone back to my mindscape to rest, and I was left alone in the woods. I groomed my slightly swollen belly full of kits. My paws ached to go back to my mossy den in camp and take a long, nice nap. I stretched and padded on my way back to camp.

By the time I entered the camp entrance, Darkthunder was calling for a camp meeting again.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather to hear my words!" called the muscular black tom. He surveyed his army with narrowed eyes, his tail tip twitching anxiously behind him, betraying the neutral expression on his face.

"We're going to sneak attack the Shifters today!" Darkthunder announced after telling the army about what happened today. All the Crystallics started talking at once, some growling and unsheathed their claws, some letting out squeals of excitement, and some had already started practicing their battle moves. I was the only one who wasn't happy about this. I was the only one who doesn't want war. I was the only one who doesn't want to fight.

I was the only one who has kits in their belly but still has to face my children 's father in battle.

***BTL***

"Those Crystallic scum…" some shifter mumbled, "Threatening us…" Rumours were spreading fast about the encounter, about me too.

"Looks like that half breed is not so bad…" I leaped onto the branch above my den where I usually sit.

The camp had gotten more active, the shifters huddled in groups or glancing at me before continuing on their work. The murderess air that covers this place hadn't left, only thinned out.

Aspen was giving out orders, as usual, her voice was the only loud noise in camp.

'I should prepare for the Shifter leader meeting Aspen told me about… I wonder when Hati's ambassador comes…'

Apparently the Leader or Chief has to come in their most powerful form… Levin said, wearing a pair of grey rimmed glasses. I huffed.

"You don't look smart in that." I told him, unimpressed by his 'costume'.

Well, miss Pretty can't do better than me! He tried to counter She can't steal random stuff from humans.

"She's a shifter." I reminded him, "Shifters can take on a two-leg appearance."

Well- He started.

"No." I stared him right in the eyes, letting my front leg to hang off the branch, "You can't. Maybe in different areas, but not this one. To the other shifters, you're just an overgrown, pale blue, danger noodle." Levin backed off, mocking shock on his face and if he had a claw, he would've put it on his chest.

I am hurt he said, the sarcasm practically dripping off the words. I smirked, dropping my shield of leader-like authority.

"Don't fight me," I joked, "or I'll demote you to a cleaner." Levin faked fainting, his eyes rolling up into his head before he did a loop to face me again.

Noooooo, not the pooper scooper! He moaned, still leaning backwards, being dramatic.

"Chief!" I looked down to see Plum on the ground below me. Levin, scenting the urgency, dispersed into a show of snowflakes, falling onto Plum and causing him to shiver.

"Yes, Plum?" I asked, the mask of unwanted leadership falling back on my face. I got up and jumped off the branch I was resting on, landing beside the blue tabby tom.

"Aspen has sent out the sun-down patrols." the apprentice reported while I nodded, "and, um, my mentor is angry for some reason."

'Rocky's probably mad because there was no blood spilled.' I thought, furrowing my brow. Plum stared at me, eyes wide, waiting for an answer to my frustration.

"I'll do something about it," I told the apprentice quietly, trying to mask my displeasure. I left a bewildered and frightened Plum to his duty, trotting up to Rocky's den. The smell was horrible, like dead fish and the human thing call blue cheese were scrambled in a landfill then eaten and thrown up by a horse.

'What the heck does Rocky do in there?' I mentally screamed, rubbing my nose while trying to ignore Levin's not-so-quiet snickering.

"What do you want." Rocky pushed aside the twigs covering his entrance as if he expected me to arrive.

"I can't have a weak link in this camp," I replied, matching his cold blade with one of my own.

"Well if I fought today I might have felt better." He growled, muscles twitching with anticipation, claws sheathing and unsheathing.

"..." I stared at him, into his feverish, blood-seeking eyes.

"Fine." I told him after a minute, "Follow me out onto the field."

"Why should I listen to a pussy like you?" He threatened, his scowl growing.

"Do you want the Crystallics to win this perpetual war?" I asked, turning my back to him, "or stay in this stalemate?"

"There won't be a stalemate when we win this bloody war!" He roared, "And we don't need some bleedin' pet to lead us!" I could feel heads turn all around us. It was either I act fast or I lose my spot and reputation.

I turned and jumped at Rocky, pushing him to the right. Another leap and I was on top of him.

"If you cannot anticipate your enemy, then you cannot stay in a stalemate, much less win a war," I growled, leaning close to Rocky's shocked face.

'Teach the kit a lesson' a part of me said, and I followed with no regrets, 'all of them, they all need lessons.'

"All of you here lack brains, no matter how smart you are," I looked out around us, but not moving my head, "I will always outsmart you."

I raised my head to announce to everyone around us.

"I have a question to ask all of you maggots!" I shouted, a ting of anger in my voice, "Who is your leader, your Chief who has enough brains to get you out of a mess?!"

"SABER!" Some cheered and others moaned.

"And why do we stand against the Crystallics?!" I howled, moving off a shaking Rocky.

"BECAUSE THEY DENIED OUR FREEDOM!" I could hear the enthusiasm as more shifters joined the growing crowd.

"What does a weak link do to a Clan!?"

"THE ENEMY WINS!" The whole camp was cheering, either on the dens or on rocks or the sandy ground.

"Now let's show the Crystallics what happens when they declare war! Even if it's to scare us! For the SHIFTERS!"

"SHIFTERS! SHIFTERS! SHIFTERS!" The whole camp was surrounding us, cheering and howling, flying and screeching. To myself, I wondered,

Was this meant to be?

***BTL***

"One last thing to announce." Darkthunder cleared his throat, and all of the cats turned their attention to him. There's something unusual in the black tom's eyes.

"I'm retiring. Owlflame is now your new General." and the tom tumbled down from the fallen tree and headed towards the elders' hollow. Everyone, including Owlflame, stared in shock while the elders greeted their former leader with a hint of sympathy and warmth flashing in their eyes.

For once the camp was quiet, and the only things that can be heard were soft purrs of Leopardclaw and friendly grumbles of Larchstorm and Patchfoot. I observed the former General carefully, making sure this is not just a joke; bits of gray masked the black tom's muzzle, his legs buckled, his once strong, muscular body now shaky and weak.

Owlflame seemed to recover after a while and leaped on the fallen tree in her new position. She dipped her head slightly towards her former general and called for the camp's attention. After a few brief words to remember what Darkthunder has done for the army his past moons of being General, it is now time for Owlflame and the sergeants to appoint a colonel. They huddled beneath the fallen tree in a shallow pit, mumbling and whispering something.

I sat down at the edge of the camp, waiting for the results. For whoever is chosen to be colonel, it doesn't affect me and my kits. And that's enough for now. I watched the elders huddle around Darkthunder and helped him into the elder's hollow. Whitepaw and Moonpaw went busy looking for soft leaves and fresh moss while the older kits went to help too with their mother's permission. Willowmist came and settled beside me, her soft cream and grey tabby fur brushing against mine. I turned to look at her. The queen's beautiful blue eyes twinkled with warmth.

"It feels good to see them starting to help around the camp, all ready and full of passion," she meowed with hints of pride in her voice, " I remember you were like this too when you first became an apprentice here." I looked down at my paws, memories of the past flashing back at me.

Memories of Stoneclan.

A soft paw wiped off the wetness in my eyes I didn't realize was there.

"You must miss your home so much. Where Ever you came from. It must be hard for them, too, to born without knowing where they belong to. " Willowmist meowed softly, her tail resting on my shoulders sympathetically, blue eyes gazed with warmth at my belly, and turned away. I pretended not to understand.

"Uh, I think Owlflame is ready to announce the new colonel now," and I escaped the scene, panic swelling inside me. She knows about my kits! Willowmist knows about my kits!

'Mmmhmm.'

Don't make things worst, Zircon. I warned to the red Crystal eating potato chips in my mindscape again. Owlflame had already gone back onto the fallen tree, and a crowd is gathering already.

"Crystallics, now is time to appoint your new colonel," meowed the speckled brown she-cat. The crowd shifted uneasily, and particular cats puffed out their pelts, looking confident.

"I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice," she announced with a hint of uncertainty, "The new colonel of the Crystallics is Twilightfall." I stared at my friend, shocked at the announcement. Some cats growled, some cats questioned Owlflame's choice loudly, but half to most of the cats started cheering my name.

"Twilightfall! Twilightfall!"

"Twilightfall! Twilightfall!"

"Twilightfall! Twilightfall!"

I padded slowly up to my General and touched nose with her. I turned, and the two of us gazed at the crowd. I looked at my former General, Darkthunder, who didn't look surprised and yowled my name the loudest. Warmth lit up something in me, and suddenly this felt more like home than it had ever done. Owlflame quiet downs the crowd and left me my first task; to send out fighting patrols.

I, Zircon and I to be exact, thought briefly for a moment, and started commanding cats to stand in different lines at the entrance after their name is called.

"Breezefrost, Patchpelt, Whitepaw, please line up behind them to form the first line. I will lead this patrol straight up to their entrance, declare war, and trick them into thinking they're much stronger than us." I commanded with trembling meows as Owlflame gave me an encouraging look, and the cats did as they were told.

I didn't hesitate this time and started organizing the next patrol immediately after the first one.

"Wolfclaw, I trust you to lead the first ambusher's patrol of Iceclaw, Finchfeather, Moonpaw, and Mapledawn. Your patrol will wait in a concealed position by the Northeast side of the entrance and attack when I SEND MY SIGNAL. You understand?" The cats nodded and walked up to form a second line. I felt my heart skipped a beat when Owlflame raised a paw, frowning. Did I do something wrong? Did I not choose the right cats? What had I done? Confusion and fear crushed my lack of confidence, and my pelt was hot with shame. All eyes were on me and the General now.

"I'll join them," Owlflame meowed simply. I let out a relieved sigh and moved on with the next patrol.

"Tigerwing, Hawkwing, Stormtail, and Lightningstreak," I let my haloed blue gaze land on the well muscled black tom with a sight-shocking golden streak across his back, "you guys are responsible for wiping out any enemies left standing near the end. Lightningstreak, can I trust you to lead this team, the strongest of our patrols? Do you promise you will WAIT FOR MY SIGNAL?" I questioned, staring intensely at the aggressive and rebellious tom.

"Of course." Lightningstreak huffed and turned to join the other cats in his patrol. I turned to the medicine cat sitting beside her hollow.

"Silentmist," the word seemed to slip off my tongue like a fish, "please prepare all the herbs needed to treat wounds and infections. Shadecloud, please organize the rest of the soldiers to protect the camp." I told the black saddled white she-cat firmly. She nodded, expressionless bright green eyes didn't give way to show any signs of disappointment.

I nodded to Owlflame and motioned to the new General that I'm done. The brown speckled she-cat blinked thankfully to me and switched on a solemn face.

"We are starting an ambush. This is a very dangerous move for both us Crystallics and the Shifters. But when I look at you, I don't see just soldiers. I see friends, family. Strong, brave individuals who had stood by each other's side and had never ever backed down from a fight!" Owlflame exclaimed. The crowd and I shifted excitedly, blood rushed in my ears and I can't seem to stop shaking.

'Don't get too excited to meet that laniary.' Zircon mumbled while snacking on a bag of potato chips in my mindscape and littering everywhere.

"Today, we face a danger like none before. As your general, your friend, and as your sister. I ask you to fight one more time! For Crystallics!" she yowled. And the crowd answered with deafening cheers and encouraged yowls. I puffed up my chest proudly as Owlflame's eyes gleamed with the same expression.

"For Crystallics!"

"For Crystallics!"

"For Crystallics!"

***BTL***

I stared a the four cat line, alone. The rest of the Shifter far behind me, in the camp.

Awww, cute Blue eyes is a traitor. Levin said, faking despair to hide his true feelings.

'I really hoped it didn't have to be like this.' I told him, 'I really believed that.'

A white she-cat with gray ears, paws, and fluffy grey tail stepped forward, a slight shake in her legs and a cold, steel mask over her face.

"Twilight." I breathed.

The forest seemed to wrap around us, encasing us, just like that nightmare that won't stop repeating in my dreams. Her haloed frost blue eyes drilling into mine, the tension in the air ever present.

"Why are you here," I said calmly, watching this new Twilight's every move. She copied my voice, my tone, and my face.

"We're here to declare war." She announced, the cats behind her bending down to pounce, their Crystals taking shape above each of them.

This is one hundred percent a trap~ Levin warned, stating the obvious like the guy he was.

'I know.' I replied, silently gritting my teeth. Parts of a plan floated around in my mind, refusing to come together in the face of pressure and stress.

'Levin.' I commanded, feeling him perk up, 'go back and get Aspen and half of the shifters, yell at them if you need to.'

He materializes right beside me, lingering for no more than a second before dashing off to the camp, leaving shocked and incredulous stares from three of the four Crystallics. Twilight just stared at me intensely, as if waiting for an answer.

"I really hoped this never happened, Twilight," I said, glancing at Twilight, shrugging,"I guess Starclan really couldn't do anything."

"Get him." Was all she said.

The black apprentice pounce first, her amber eyes shining under the pale moon, her pet not far behind.

"I didn't know that Crystallics were this bloodthirsty," I said, sidestepping the cat and raking the under-belly of the Crystal, making it reel back in apparent pain.

The older black and white cat dropped down from the trees behind me, her Crystal in the leaves, staring at me with beady, black eyes.

"Nhug." I kicked her in the face, fending off the white one and her pet as well. A missed swipe, an injured leg. Then I bit down on the brown tabby on the ear, raked my unsheathed claws on his belly and listened to his cry of anguish.

"Patchpelt!" the white one call after hearing his cry, her body limp on the stone floor. I dropped Patchpelt, feeling his body land in front of my paws, the blood pooling under him.

'...I don't like the feeling of death.' I grimace at the body, the images of Blaze flashing through my mind, nausea swimming in my stomach.

"Ragh!" A white blur crashed into me, her teeth ripping at my flesh. I febbly tried to kick her off, only feeling her fangs dig deeper.

"Damnit!" I growled, wishing Levin would arrive sooner as the other Crystallic piled onto me, trying to tear me to pieces as I bit down on my screams.

'This is it, the end for me…' I thought dejectedly as my energy drained out of my wounds, staring at the cats' rage filled eyes. Then thunder cracked, or so I thought.

I'm back! The sound of Levin's oddly cheery voice rang throughout the battleground, the sounds of wing beats and thundering feet not far behind. The of feeling of hope and dread filled me, the two swirling around like snakes on a fence.

"Chief!" Aspen's figure blurred and grew and an eagle flew in her place, picking up Twilight and tossing her off into the bushes, her crystal forming only then, a plume of angry red raising behind her. One sweep of Levin's body sent the rest crashing to the ground beside me, ice forming on them and burning them. The brown tabby laid on the ground, slowly bleeding to death as he was trampled by a squad of four, chasing after the recovering Crystallics.

"You don't disappoint," I told Levin, leaning on him for support.

I serve for the rest of your life, he chirped in reply, watching Aspen shift into a cougar to bit the blue jay, who was squinting water at her.

You should also watch out for the incoming explosion he warned, using ice to form a pair of sunglasses.

"What!?" I said, shock and panic breaking the usual mask of steel. I turned to the battle, already so much blood on the ground, and shouted.

"Shifters! Behind me! Now!" And they hesitantly obeyed, leaping behind me as I will an ice wall to form.

"What's your problem?" Someone behind me yelled. A split second later, a pillar of cold fire shot up into the sky, pushing against my wall and shaking the ground.

"I take it back." the voice whimpered.

"Flyers, charge!" I commanded, turning to face the shifters, "Now!" Half of them shifted and darted right into the fading fire as I willed my wall to shot forward, crashing into the forest and clearing the trees. Then it melted into burning pieces of ice, allowing the land-bound shifters to charge into battle again, more bloodthirsty than ever.

Then someone ripped my right ear off cleanly, the blood flowing down my mussel and into my mouth.

"Darn!" I winced, facing the Crystallic deputy who was still holding my severed ear.

"That's for taunting us, fleabag!" She shouted, dropping my ear as more Crystallics gathered behind her.

'I really hate transforming too.' I thought begrudgingly as I forced myself into a form of a dragon, two cats high and three foxes long. The deputy's bear came out, it's fur the colour of sap, and charged.

I roared, shaking the leaves on trees and the limp bodies of cats, and met the bear in the middle, locking claws in a wrestling match. The other Crystallics latched onto my tail, ripping at the open wounds with their crystals. I grabbed the bear's waist, lifted him off the ground and tossed him onto the spear-like stumps of the ravaged trees.

Owlflame watched her Crystal dissolve into dust, being blown away by the wind.

"N-no!" She growled as everyone turned to stare at us, tense silence overtaking the bloody battlefield. I pounce on her, grabbing her by her throat and lifted her into the air.

"Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill, KILL!" the shifters started chanting, raising their heads and baring their teeth.

"KILL, KILL, KILL, KILL!" like a pack of rabid wolves, they pushed off their duelling partner with fiery in their eyes.

"GIVE US VENGEANCE!" They hollered, paws stomping.

Time to choose. A long forgotten voice told me, the Shifters or War?

I raised my wings, bloating out the sun for Owlflame. I saw my eyes reflected off of hers, shining a putrid yellow like a full moon.

"..." I pinned her to the ground. And used my right claw to rip her still beating heart out. The brown speckled she-cat went limp, covered in her own blood, the fear never left her eyes.

***BTL***

I stared as Saber's claws penetrated Owlflame's chest, and pulled out without hesitation. Then a heartbeat later blood came splashing out of the young General's huge wound, and she fell to the ground before having a chance to let out a screech of agony. All the Crystallics watched with disbelief while the Shifters gave a good chuckle and continued on their bloodthirsty tasks.

I released my grip on Bluebell and finished off the blue-grey she-cat by slitting her throat, not waiting to watch the blood gush out. Blood roared in my ears as I thrust myself onto Saber, who just transformed back into his cat form. He dodged past my blow, and stood beside the dead General's body, watching silently.

"Owlflame!" I screeched and landed beside Owlflame whose body lay motionless on the ground, blood pooling underneath her. Saber watched calmly while I glared at him.

"You'll pay for this." I hissed and thrust my claws at him, the brown tabby jumped sideways and nipped at my left ear, leaving a nick there. I made a sharp turn and leaped onto Saber's back and left a fresh scar on his back. The brown tabby shook me off violently and crouched, a blow aimed at my belly. I felt my heart lurched as I realized my kits might not survive this blow. I was twisting on a weird angle, Zircon's too far away to help, and my paws weren't fast enough to turn at this point.

Nothing can save my kits now. I sealed my eyes shut in horror and tried to curl myself into a ball to reduce pressure on my unborn kits. I almost let out a horrified scream as I fell from the air, doing my best to dodge the incoming blow. A force dragged me up by the scruff at the last moment, my paws barely touching solid ground, and my kits were safe.

My kits are safe. I blinked open my eyes and found myself staring into Saber's green and brown eyes, who was staring back into mine. My pelt felt hot with embarrassment as the brown tabby put me back down as gently as he could as if I'm a fragile kit. I stared at the ground, both confused, sad, angry, and glad. Cries of agony and yowls of triumph filled the cool night air, but the world seemed to dissolve around us and there are only us two. I didn't dare look up at these eyes now, afraid to see anger, disgust, or even hate.

"Twilight." he meowed. I answered with a small whimper.

"Twilight, look at me." Saber meowed softly. I raised my head and stared at the brown tabby I once knew so well and loved deeply. But he killed someone. He killed Owlflame. I backed away from Saber, not knowing what to feel.

"I didn't have a choice." he meowed simply with a hint of pain behind his steel mask.

"No, you did," I hissed, "now you are one of them. Bloodthirsty and ruthless killers." Saber frowned, ringed brown tail swishing behind him. Blood pulsed through my ears and I fought to stay in control, not letting my evil side take control. Saber opened his mouth to argue, but I cut him off.

"You never care about anyone! You never notice anything!" I snarled, flexing my claws. Saber just stared at me, odd coloured eyes wide.

"You never notice me. You never care about me, and you still don't know and don't wanna know about your kits!" I stared hard at Saber's sheathed claws, refusing to look up again.

"Tell me. Saber. Tell me." Then I stomped away without waiting for an answer. When I looked back, he was gone. I surveyed the mess around me, trying to find him, but no use. I felt a tingle of wetness swept across my cheeks. I licked them off, then realizing I'm crying. Saber… You snake hearted bastard. You never answered my question!

"You fox-breathed Crystallic!" a voice screamed behind me and I dodged before a dark grey badger landed on the spot a few kitten steps away from me. It's sharp amber eyes fixed on me and swung it's heavy armoured claws at me. I was exhausted, and my long, snow white fur dragged me down, but I refused to give up.

"Badger heart!" I hissed and aimed a flaming blow at his left eye. I felt my flames froze his eye and the Shifter let out a screech of fury. A mass of flaming feathers thrust itself on the huge badger and ripped it's throat. The badger let out a final cry of agony and blurred, dropping dead onto the ground as Rocky.

"Zircon!" I yelped in surprise and jumped onto the phoenix and rubbed my head on him, messing up his feathers while he just rolled his eyes. Through my crystal's burning feathers, I saw a gigantic bear a size even bigger than Owlflame's grizzly and let out a furious roar and the all cats stopped fighting. Crystals returned to their Crystallics' mindscapes and Shifters shifted back to their catselves.

"This war needs to be stopped now." A familiar voice announced. My eyes widened as I recognized the huge bear's odd coloured eyes. Saber!

"StarClan is displeased with it! Even the stars disappear and the moon hides its face from us!" Clouds covered the moon and the stars seemed to fade away. I stared at the night sky, guilt choking me as I am the one who started all this chaos. Zircon stayed outside, watching out for me and the third patrol as he reported the deaths and badly injured cats to me.

'We have 5 deaths and 3 badly injured Crystallics.' Zircon chirped, happy because he got twenty boxes of new flavoured potato chips.

'I seriously doubt that Whitepaw is going to survive your little valentine's blow.' Zircon imitated Tansycreek's, who's back in Stoneclan, fan girl voice. My muscles tightened at the mention of Saber's name. Zircon seemed to notice that and returned to my mindscape to start on his new potato chips.

"Crystallics!" I called, "come to me. We're going home now! The war is over!" as Crystallics gathered around me, their expressions grimmed as their General's body is discovered. The third patrol walked out of the surrounding bushes looking pissed off. Lightningstreak stalked up to me and growled in my face.

"HOW COULD YOU JUST MAKE US WATCH OUR CLANMATES DIE?! YOU SNAKE HEART!" I resisted the urge to bristle and growl back and I tried to remain calm and explain.

"We were on the downside in the battle. I wanted to reserve our best sergeants for the survival of the clan, um, army."

"Wolfclaw and Tigerwing. Would you please organize the Crystallics to go back home and carry the other's bodies back? I need to talk to someone. It is very important and it matters to this army's survival. Do you understand?" I commanded to my most trusted sergeants. They both nodded and trotted away to organize the crowd. I turned and ran to the direction where Saber had gone.

I need an answer!

"Wait!" A voice stopped me. I spun around and glared, surprised to see Lightningstreak standing behind me.

"What?!" I meowed a little too impatiently. The muscular black tom flexed his claws, his golden eyes burning with anger.

"You're the new General now," he hissed, "so you need to go back to camp and have a discussion with us sergeants about the new colonel." I let out a long, heavy sigh. My shoulders slumped at the weight of the whole army.

"Okay. Thanks for reminding me." I mumbled and brushed past Lightningstreak, the black tom's eyes twinkled with distest and ambition.

Looks like someone is eager to take power.